Hanoi through my eyes

Life is hard but ain't heavy. The shoulder pole with baskets and the conical hat are part of the daily street scene in Vietnam. You can always see women carry breads, fruits, vegetables and etc in two baskets which hang from the two ends of a pole over their shoulder. The conical hat is a good tool to escape from the scorching sun and to avoid the eye contact of the stranger.

Red is in. Ladies with over-size sunglasses and trendy wear riding on a scooter is another a scene you can't miss when you are in Hanoi. I think they are cool. They have a very good stability of riding the scooter. Half-size helmet is popular there with most of the riders wearing it and it comes in many colors and printed graphic.

Cover page. The rustic orange and yellow really catch my eyes.

Mobility. With the shoulder pole and two baskets, the seller is able to carry their goods to sell anywhere without the needs of setting up a stall at a permanent location. I wonder how much they could earn in a day and if it is enough to feed their family.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. A memorial to a great Vietnamese leader. Located in the center of Ba Dinh Square. The body of the leader is preserved inside the building. Ba Dinh Square is where the Declaration of Independence has been read by Ho Chi Minh on 2nd-September, 1945.

Meeting place. This is how Vietnamese, even the young generation, hangs out. Sitting on a small stool drinking fruit juice and eating mango or peanuts by a roadside stall. Sometime at night, they would just on a thin mattress in groups on the roadside chatting and drinking.

Walk with your chin up. Crossing the road on Hanoi street is an experience which I can't possibly forget. You just have to walk straight ahead as if nothing has come from your left or right. Never hesitate. The motorcycles, which come from left and right, will just whiz past you as if they are avoiding a lamp post or a pothole on the road.

"It is not about the equipments but your eyes!"


To view the complete album of this trip, please click on this link.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tang_sk/sets/72157614993004823/